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Archive for June 22nd, 2009

Maybe it is the “medication” i have been taking but I was watching a movie called “Steal This Movie.” it was a movie about the activist Abbie Hoffman. For those who do not know who Abby Hoffman is go to your favorite torrent search engine find this movie and download it. He also wrote the book “Steal This Book.” Do the same as above. Under normal circumstances, I would say buy this movie but this one instance it seems to honor the spirit of the movie. The movie takes place during the “Flower Child” movement. Abbie Hoffman actually coined the phrase. While watching this movie I started to think about the whole left-wing, right-wing argument. Even though liberal and conservative thoughts have been around since the beginning of established governments. The life of Socrates is really a good example of this statement. But I believe the left-wing, right-wing argument; or what I would call Political Civil War, really started in the late sixties during the Nixon administration. I really do not need to overview what happened during the Nixon administration because we just had eight years of history repeating itself.

My comparison blog post between the Bush Administration and the Nixon Administration is for another topic and I will not ramble about this. But the most imporant thing I will say regarding comparison between the two is that both periods have stirred up this argument in people. I may or may not post something dealing on this comparison. Let me ask everyone a question, when you think of a conservative what is the first thing about that person do you think about? What is the first thing about a Liberal what is the first thing you think of? Now let me tell you what I see. When I think of a conservative I think button down bible thumping christian wearing a suit and telling me how to think. When I think of a Liberal I think hippie looking person telling me what they think and challenging me to think differently. Where this was at one time an accurate view it no longer is. Or maybe never was. I know Democratic Christian Conservatives, I know Pagan Republican Liberals. I am a Democrat, I am also a member of the NRA and believe that Gun Control is the biggest joke ever told. The old views of how things are need to be thrown away. Just because everyone says it is this way. Let me ask a question who is everyone? What authority do they have to tell you how things are. Think for yourselves I will be lying if I say I don’t care if you agree with me or not. So a more truthful statement is I want you to agree with me, but if you do not I want to know why. There is a War going on in America. There are no guns, no death, or physical destruction. What is happening is this, families are being torn apart, our government and country are divided on an intellectual level. We as a whole do not know what we want. Lately with the internet we do not know what is true and what is not. Misinformation is the biggest weapon any political writer, activist, or journalist has.

Misinformation was used to discredit Abbie Hoffman by the Nixon Administration. Now Misinformation is used a lot more. This is mainly used by the media, Hannity uses misinformation against liberals. As he uses his own prejudices when talking to liberals, or talking about his opinion this can be noticed. Misinformation is used in political campaigns. This technique is used a lot, I can give a lot more examples, but there are more things I want to say. This technique is very effective and is overused. God forbid people think for themselves by giving them actual unbiased information. Which in it comes into politics a majority of political arguments are opinions anyway. Opinions are biased. Information that will keep peoples attention usually have to seem credible to that audience. This information is really Misinformation, it is one sided information and you never get all of it. For example When a news caster says “The CIA interrogation is under investigation because it is questionable.” That news cast will probably not tell you that those techniques labeled as torture gets credible results. They do not say exactly what practices are in question. We assume Abu Garib style things being done. We assume water boarding and all of the other torture examples ever given. But they do not say that giving a person the bare minimum of sustenance and sleep is the most commonly used and is the most effective. They do not say how many attacks against Americans are subverted because of these actions. Why? Because they don’t really want you to know the complete facts. What I just said is not the complete facts either just an example. I urge you the reader to look at both sides toe the line, be Switzerland. It is hard but you may learn something. To break the cycle and stop this Political Civil War, I challenge you to look at an issue differently from the other side of the argument. We all will disagree, but we do not need to make it uncivil. If someone disagrees with you on something and you have given your full view shake your head and say okay. Kicking a dead horse will not make the horse any deader. Arguing about political views will not make either side more right or more wrong. If you don’t choose a side great. If you do that is good too but I urge everyone to keep an open mind. Let’s keep this Civil War contained to the intellectual battlefield. We are approaching a new era, one where I believe our views will start to shift. Things will start to change, why should we resist it?